Cork wins Sustainability Teaching Award

THE Department of Process and Chemical Engineering at University College Cork, Ireland, has won the 2016 IChemE Sustainability Teaching Award.

The award was set up in 2016 by IChemE’s Education and Sustainability Special Interest Groups (SIGs), with the aim of encouraging chemical engineering departments to teach sustainability principles to undergraduates. The idea is that sustainability principles will be integrated throughout the degree programme, rather than being taught as a separate module.

University College Cork was recognised for just this, having provided good examples of interdisciplinary projects and excellent student feedback.

“University College Cork’s chemical engineering programme places sustainability at the forefront of teaching and practice, in light of contemporary societal challenges. We offer a research-informed curriculum which provides graduates with a broader sense of context and purpose. This complements and extends their professional imperatives as chemical engineers,” said Cork chair of process and chemical engineering and programme director Edmond Byrne, adding: “This award endorses our ambition to provide students with best-in-class teaching to set them up for successful careers as chemical engineers.”

The University of Manchester’s School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science was highly commended by the judges.

Applications for the 2017 Sustainability Teaching Award are now open and close on 15 July. Visit http://bit.ly/SusTeachAward for more information.